This disclosure relates to pumps used in oil and gas drilling and production operations.
High pressure pumps are used in many aspects of drilling and production operations in the oil and gas industry. Some parts of the pumps are susceptible to wear especially when pumping abrasive or corrosive fluids used in well completions and stimulation work often referred to in the industry as “hydraulic fracturing” or “frac jobs” or recently “fracking”. “Fracturing” is an abbreviation for a stimulation treatment wherein fluid (with or without proppant) is pumped at high pressures into downhole geologic formations to enhance the production of hydrocarbons from the treated geologic formation. The pump parts undergo mechanical wear under extreme conditions of stress and need to be frequently changed. The frequent change of parts leads to loss in productivity due to equipment downtime. Changing the parts is hindered by the fact that, often, the work must be performed at the well site or otherwise outside of a well-equipped workshop.